Union to Separation and Back Again
by jylener22
Summary: After the vows are said, everything should be smooth sailing, right? Once the kids are born and are starting to grow up, things should start getting easier, right? For Ichigo and Orihime, it will take some creative thinking and planning to make them discover the answer to both those questions. While late, this is a Tanabata story all about love found, lost and rediscovered.


"By the powers vested in me, it is my privilege to present the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Ichigo Kurosaki to you all. And now I will allow the impatient groom to kiss the bride."

Seemingly thunderous applause and amused laughter filled the church as groom willingly did as he was told. However, not before he threw a mock dirty glance at the pastor who had just given him permission to give said kiss to his wife of three seconds.

With all the cheering going on around them, though, the bride and groom had no trouble getting lost in their own joyous, whirling thoughts about how the wait was finally over. They were married at long last. Their kiss was long, sweet, passionate and overjoyed, expressing in action what neither Ichigo nor Orihime could find the words to say. Not that they really wanted to talk when they could use a kiss instead.

Both jumped slightly, pulled out of their kiss and were wrenched back to the real world when the pastor laid a hand on both their shoulders and said teasingly, "My, my, my. You two won't have any energy left for the honeymoon if you keep going like that."

Laughter, cheers and whistles were the congregations response (surprisingly, Isshin only grinned, gave his son the thumbs up sign and then began shaking his head in amusement) and then the pastor said in a stage whisper, "Why don't you two lead us to the reception where we can all eat and refresh our energy levels while enjoying good company and then afterwards you two can pick up where you left off?"

Ducking her head in a show of embarrassment, Orihime took Ichigo's hand and was about to step down and walk out of the sanctuary when she felt her husband pull her back towards him. She looked up at him in surprise and confusion before he leaned down and gave her one final kiss.

When he was finished, Ichigo pulled back, grinned down at her then smirked at the audience and said, "All right. Now I'm good," before he threaded Orihime's hand around his elbow and escorted her down the steps and out of the church.

At last they were husband and wife before God and man. They were one flesh, one heart, one soul with one another. Nothing would ever be able to separate them. Ever.

-

Trudging footsteps then the soft scraping and thumping sound of shoes being rid of debris before the garage door opens and a weary male voice calls out, "I'm home."

This statement is answered by the sound of small, running feet a few moments before children's voices cry out, "Daddy! Daddy! Welcome home, Daddy!"

Even though moments previously, the man's voice had sounded on the verge of exhaustion, the instant those three rays of sunshine came barreling down the hallway the man's face couldn't help but return those excited smiles. The children were smiling and happy because their beloved Daddy was home, and he was smiling and happy because they were happy he was home.

Kneeling down to scoop up all three children in his arms, the man greeted them all by asking, "Tell me all about your day," and they did so in between giggling fits as their strong Daddy lumbered down the hallway and into the dining room with one child under each arm and the third wrapping their arms around Daddy's neck.

When they reached the kitchen, a woman working busily at the stove with a boiling pot of noodles and two different pans of meat and vegetables, looked up briefly through the steamy haze and said in a tired voice, "Nobu, Natsuki, Sayuri. I thought I told you not to hang all over your father the moment he walks through the door. He's had a long day and must be very tired."

Not looking up from the meat she was seasoning, the woman then addressed her husband, saying, "Honestly Ichigo. One of these days you're going to drop one of them on their heads and then we'll have to take them to the Emergency Room. Or worse, they'll try it on each other and-"

The moment Orihime had started talking to him, Ichigo's eyes had hardened in annoyance and the smile had turned into a scowl. Even though his hackles were beginning to rise in irritation, Ichigo still managed to set down his three youngest children gently on the kitchen floor and also to keep his voice under control as he interrupted his wife.

"Just because I may be tired after a long day's work, doesn't mean that I am completely incapable of picking up my own children. And secondly-"

This time, Orihime cut Ichigo off as she snapped, "Does it really look to you as if I'm in any position to argue right now? If you would like your dinner burnt and completely inedible then please, by all means, keep on distracting me," and then she turned her attention back to the task in front of her.

For a moment, Ichigo looked ready to explode and was about to do so when a small hand gripped his pant leg and tugged. Looking down, Ichigo's eyes met those of his youngest, Natsuki.

At three years old, Natsuki was short for his age, only barely reaching Ichigo's calf. Despite that, Natsuki was a tough little boy, having fallen down twelve stairs once, gotten several bruises on his arms and legs, but had only sniffled three times when Orihime had frantically inspected him for other injuries. Natsuki had the same light brown hair that Ichigo's mother once had and paired together with Orihime's large gray eyes made Natsuki quite fascinating to friends, family and even strangers passing by in the grocery store or somewhere else.

Looking into Natsuki's eyes at that moment caused Ichigo to be flung headfirst into a whirlpool of memories from times when he had stared deeply into Orihime's gaze. Even though Natsuki was quite capable of speech, the little boy almost never used his voice since his eyes, facial expressions and hand gestures were usually communicative enough. Also, even though he was too young to know the cause and reasoning for other's emotions, like his mother, Natsuki was very sensitive to the 'emotional atmosphere' of either a room at large or just individuals.

The expression in Natsuki's eyes right then was a mixture of pleading and trepidation. Natsuki had felt that his parents were frustrated and upset, so he had done the first thing that occurred to him: get Daddy's attention.

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed, trying to calm himself from the frustration of his exchange with Orihime and then the overwhelming emotions he had gotten from Natsuki. Letting out a long breath, Ichigo opened his eyes and bent down to place a gentle hand on the toddler's head. Natsuki's response was to get out from under Ichigo's hand, walk over and wrap his small arms as far around Ichigo's neck as he could reach.

Picking Natsuki up, Ichigo let out a sigh as he walked over to the counter and said, "Orihime," before he waited for Orihime to turn around, which she did after finishing chopping some half cooked vegetables back into the fry pan.

As she turned around, Ichigo saw the same look of annoyance shining in her eyes that was in his only moments before. However, as she was opening her mouth to make a remark, her eyes connected with Natsuki's. In a matter of seconds, Orihime went through the same realization process that Ichigo had, so she also closed her eyes for a time in order to collect her own thoughts and emotions.

When she opened her eyes again, Orihime looked at her husband apologetically, but before she could say a word Ichigo cut her off saying, "You were right that I should be more careful. Maybe each night I'll rotate who gets carried by Daddy or something."

Giving Ichigo a small smile, Orihime replied, "And you were right that I shouldn't belittle your strength. Since I'm here with them pretty much every day, I forget what it's like to come home after a long day's work and to have someone so excited to see you…it's easy to get caught up in the moment."

Seeing his parents starting to get along again, Natsuki smiled and reached out his arms for Orihime, but she settled for kissing his small hands and saying, "I'm sorry sweetie. I'll hold you later. Dinner is almost ready."

As for Ichigo, he kissed the side of his youngest son's head before he set Natsuki down and said, "And I have a few things to finish up so that I don't have to do them after dinner," after which he went back to the garage door in order to collect the laptop and files he had left there.

From her place at the kitchen table, Ayaka had observed the entire incident in silence. Even though she held an open textbook of world history in front of her, if one were to look closely they would clearly see that the ten-year-old girl's eyes were looking over the pages of history. As the scene unfolded, Ayaka's eyes expressed discomfort at the brewing argument then relief when Natsuki deftly diffused the situation and then disappointment as her parents went their separate ways rather than completing their reconciliation.

Casting her gaze downwards and looking thoughtfully at the history book, Ayaka went through her memories trying to remember the last time she saw her parents really getting along together. The last time they showed affection for one another by grasping one another's hands, looking lovingly at the other or even exchanging a sweet kiss. With a slight pang, Ayaka realized that it had been at least five years since anything like that had happened on a regular basis.

There was no doubt in her mind that her parents loved one another and were faithful to their vows. When it came to disciplining, raising and teaching their children, discussing finances and any other household matter, Ichigo and Orihime were a united front. They worked hard and well together and in Ayaka's opinion were the best parents anyone could ask for. However, when it came to them as a married couple, Ayaka was only too aware of the fact that her parents were disconnected from one another.

If only there was some way that they could reconnect…spend some time together…have some time alone…and then, an idea started formulating. She would need some help and it would take a lot of planning to pull it off, but if she could make it work then maybe, just maybe…

-

After dinner that same night, Ayaka subtly caught her twin Reika's and younger brother Makoto's attention. While Ayaka led them towards the room she shared with her twin, the rest of the Kurosaki's made their way into the family room in order to turn on the TV and watch a few shows together before bedtime.

Once Ayaka had closed the door behind them, Makoto did a belly-flop onto Ayaka's bed and asked in a borderline bored tone, "Just what was so important that you had us miss Reapers? From the previews, this episode looks like it will be revealing some vital information about Crimson Baboon and Violet Snowflake's past."

Turning to her twin, Reika's eyes danced as she said, "Oh, I know! Mom and Dad's anniversary is coming up and we need to plan out what we're going to give them."

Nodding her head, Ayaka gave Reika a small smile and replied, "Yes, that is what I had in mind."

Propping his chin on his palm, Makoto looked slightly more interested as he said thoughtfully, "Well, that is rather important. We don't want to repeat last year's mistakes."

Despite being nine years old, Makoto had inherited his father's blunt and straightforward way of speaking his mind. He had his mother's caramel colored hair only several shades darker paired with his grandfather's dark, almost black, eyes. He wasn't prone to scowling like his father or smiling brightly like his mother, but rather to staring off into space.

Reika looked slightly affronted by her brother's remark and asked coolly, "And just what exactly was wrong with our gift last year?"

Makoto blinked once before he answered, "Because nothing in the gift was practical. Yeah, those fancy shaped measuring spoons for Mom and the brightly colored file folders and office supplies for Dad were nice, but as far as I know neither one of them have used anything we gave them."

Plopping down with a sigh on her own bed, Reika said gloomily, "You're right," then the next moment she brightened and said, "Here's an idea! Why don't we make about three or four picture frames? One for Dad's office, one for the family room, one for the front hallway maybe and one for Mom and Dad's bedroom."

Nodding his head in agreement, Makoto said thoughtfully, "That might be a fine gift," then he turned a knowing look on his other sister and said, "however, I think Ayaka asked us to come in here to discuss an idea she had in mind already."

Ayaka was silent for a moment or two before she said quietly, "The idea came to me as I was thinking about what happened today as soon as Dad came home and how I can barely remember the last time Mom and Dad had any time alone together."

After thinking for a second or two, Makoto looked rather startled as he sat up and said, "You know, you're right about that. I couldn't tell you the last time Mom and Dad did anything without taking us kids along."

Looking rather confused at this change in the conversation, Reika asked, "What's the matter with that? And what happened when Dad came home today?"

"I'm guessing that Ayaka's referring to the short disagreement Mom and Dad had when he came home today," Makoto said.

Before Reika could ask any more questions, Makoto went on saying, "Now, I don't know exactly what Ayaka has in mind, but I might have a vague idea as to what she wants to do. And if so, I'm just going to say that we probably going to have to involve Grandpa, Aunt Karin, Uncle Toshiro, Aunt Yuzu and Uncle Uryu in order to pull it off. Maybe even Uncle Chad, Aunt Tatsuki, Mr. Renji and Ms. Rukia."

"You're probably right about that," said Ayaka, "however, after hearing Reika's idea, I think we can possibly combine the two ideas. Here's how…"

-

About a week later, Ichigo was filling out paperwork on the different patients he had seen that day and looking over a few other files when he heard a knock on his office door. Without missing a beat or looking up Ichigo curtly told the person to enter.

Still absorbed in his paperwork, Ichigo said automatically, "I'll be with you in a moment."

The reply he got certainly got his attention as it came from a voice he least expected.

"Nope. You're clocking out for today."

Ichigo's pen clattered onto his desk as he finally looked up. Standing in his office was a smug looking Renji, a slightly grinning Uryu and Toshiro while Chad stood silently in the doorway.

Scowling at his long-time friends (two of which were his brothers-in-law) Ichigo demanded, "What are you talking about?"

Adjusting his glasses, Uryu said coolly, "We're here to help get you ready for tonight."

Renji spoke up, "Before we answer any more of your questions, let me just warn you that we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Seeing Ichigo's face darkening even more, Toshiro said in his monotone voice, "We came here to collect you because your kids planned something extra special for you and Orihime. They worked hard to put it together."

"I see," said Ichigo slowly, "However-"

Holding up a hand, Uryu said curtly, "I have already squared things away with Mr. Tenma. We'll give you more details in the car, so just pack up and come with us."

Ichigo looked about ready to protest when Chad said in his deep voice, "Please come."

Letting out a long sigh, Ichigo didn't verbally answer, but as he gathered his things he settled for giving Uryu a slightly irritated look, Renji a thunderous scowl while he gave Toshiro and Chad a miniscule grin of gratitude.

About five minutes later, the group of men walked out of the hospital and towards a convertible parked in front of the door. Ichigo fought the strong urge to turn back around and go inside when he saw his dad sitting in the driver's seat and trying to look like a cross between James Dean and Cary Grant. Renji and Toshiro got into the three person front seat, while Ichigo was shuffled into the back seat and made to sit between Uryu and Chad.

"Glad you could make it, my boy," said Isshin excitedly as he put the car in gear and pulled away, "I'll bet you're pretty curious to figure out what's going on, right?"

Glaring daggers at Isshin through the rearview mirror, Ichigo said tersely, "Not really. Sounds like my kids put together some sort of surprise, so I'll find out what it is soon enough."

Isshin's grin broadened as he said jovially, "That's the spirit, Son! Good things come to those who wait!"

From his place beside Isshin, Toshiro said nonchalantly, "I believe you might want to lay off Ichigo for a while so he can cool his jets. Otherwise, he might not enjoy the surprise."

Before Isshin could say anything, Uryu spoke up from the backseat, "You're going to miss the turn," which spurred Isshin into action.

Sitting in sullen silence, Ichigo noticed that they were approaching Uryu and Yuzu's home. Once Isshin parked the car, Ichigo got out and followed the others inside.

Turning to face Ichigo, Uryu adjusted his glasses before crossing his arms and saying, "In the bathroom you'll find your best suit cleaned and pressed."

Without comment, Ichigo went to the bathroom and changed. When he emerged, he saw Chad had disappeared and was about to ask where he had gone when Uryu started giving more instructions.

"Tonight, everything has been taken care of. Even though your kids initially came up with the plan, everyone here pitched in to give this to you and Orihime.

"Today is Thursday and I have told Mr. Tenma that you are not coming back to work until next Monday. The kids are going to be taken care of until Sunday morning and then you can spend the rest of your time off with them. Other than that, do you have any questions?"

Adjusting his tie, Ichigo said thoughtfully, "I don't believe so."

Nodding in satisfaction, Uryu called up the stairs, "Chad. He's ready when you are."

Heavy footsteps sounded overheard before heading down the stairs. The moment Ichigo saw his long-time friend, it took all of his concentration not to allow his face to crack a smile or show emotion of any kind. Chad was dressed as a chauffeur, with hat and all. Apparently, he wasn't very comfortable in the jacket as he seemed to be trying to move his arms as little as possible.

Walking over to Chad, Uryu said curtly, "Raise your arms," and when Chad hesitated, Uryu went on, "Don't worry. It won't rip. I'm just going to loosen it some more," to which Chad responded by doing what Uryu asked.

The sound of scissors reached Ichigo's ears for a moment and then Uryu stepped out from behind Chad and said in a self-satisfied tone, "There you go. Much better," then he checked his watch and said, "Right on schedule. Don't forget to stop by the shop before you pick Orihime up."

Chad nodded and then nonverbally asked Ichigo to head out to the car, which Ichigo did just as silently. As he walked back towards the car, Ichigo couldn't help but marvel at just how detailed and elaborate this plan was turning out to be. His kids had planned all this? Ichigo could only assume that the lion's share of the plan had been developed by the eldest three and the younger ones maybe had been given small tasks to complete. However, for two ten-year-old girls and a nine-year-old boy to imagine something of this caliber and pull it off by involving a whole group of adults…well, Ichigo could only feel a bit surprised plus no small amount of pride in them. And he had to keep reminding himself that there was still more to come. As he sat down in the back seat of the convertible, Ichigo grinned in anticipation.

-

Like Ichigo, Orihime had been hard at work, finishing the last load of laundry, when she heard a knock at the door. She had been about to put the clothes back into the dryer when she heard running footsteps down the stairs and Reika's voice calling out that she'd get the door. Smiling and shaking her head, Orihime returned to the task at hand, piled the clothes into a laundry basket and made her way towards the family room where she always folded the clothes. Upon her arrival, Orihime was startled to see five unexpected visitors grinning at her.

Setting down the basket, Orihime gave a cry of delight as she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! Rangiku! Rukia! I didn't know you'd come over here! When did you arrive?"

Both women returned Orihime's enthusiastic hugs and Rukia answered, "We arrived less than an hour ago."

"That's just wonderful," said Orihime before turning to the other three women in order to give them each a warm embrace, "Karin, Tatsuki and Yuzu. This is such a wonderful surprise, but I'm afraid I'm not prepared for company."

Tatsuki grinned at her long-time friend and said, "And that's precisely why we're here," at Orihime's confused look, Tatsuki merely said, "There's not a whole lot of time for explanations and quite frankly, we're not allowed to give out a lot of details at the moment, but suffice it to say that we're here to get you ready for tonight."

Looking even more perplexed than ever, Orihime started rambling, "I don't know what you mean by that, but I have so much to do what with the laundry and I have to get dinner started and I have to start planning what groceries I need to get for next week and what sort of projects need to be done around the house over the weekend and-what are you doing? Wait, what?"

Knowing that words were useless, as one, the five women easily plucked the laundry basket from Orihime's hands and propelled her up the stairs. All the way, Orihime was either protesting or listing all the things she still had to do or she was imploring her friends and relations to tell her what was going on. They said not a word until they reached the upstairs bathroom, whereupon the group was met by a grinning group of kids.

Looking down at Ayaka, Karin asked her niece, "All set?"

Ayaka nodded and repeated back, "All set."

Turning to her sister-in-law, Karin said briefly, "There's not a whole lot of time to explain and we're not really allowed to tell you too many details about what the plans are for you, but right now, for the next fifteen minutes exactly, you are going to go into that bathroom and soak in the bath your kids prepared for you. Under no circumstances are you going to be allowed to exit this bathroom until those fifteen minutes are up. Got it?"

Understanding intrinsically that any more protestations would fall on deaf ears, Orihime simply nodded as Rukia went on, "Good girl. There's a bathrobe and some undergarments in there for you to use as well."

Orihime nodded again, walked into the bathroom, closed the door behind her and then walked over to the filled bathtub. Bending over, Orihime tested the waters with her fingers and found it to be quite hot, but if she was to stay in the water for fifteen minutes, then she supposed that it would have to be.

From outside the door, Rangiku's voice called out, "Oh, I almost forgot! As you're sitting in the tub, there's a bottle of conditioner that I want you to massage all through your hair and then let it sit. Do not rinse it out, got it?"

"Yes, I understand," replied Orihime as she undressed in order to get in the bath.

The heat was a little uncomfortable at first, but as she got used to the temperature, Orihime felt her muscles relaxing. The steam from the bath smelled light and flowery…and reminded Orihime of her wedding day. As soon as she opened the bottle of hair conditioner and smelled it, that impression was firmly cemented in her mind. Even though Orihime didn't understand exactly what was going on, as she massaged the flower scented product into her hair she couldn't help the smile brightening her features as she thought about what might be in store for her next.

When the fifteen minutes were up and after Orihime had dried off and gotten partially dressed, Rangiku and Yuzu entered the bathroom carrying make-up cases, hair tools, a stool and grinning broadly at her. As soon as they had Orihime seated on the stool, Rangiku and Yuzu set to work painting Orihime's nails rose pink. After the paint had dried and a coat of clear polish had been applied and dried, Yuzu carefully painted a golden swirl design on the ring finger of each hand.

Once the nails were finished, the conditioner was rinsed out of Orihime's hair, towel-dried as much as possible and then Rangiku and Yuzu set to work on Orihime's hair. Before her eyes, Orihime watched as Rangiku and Yuzu performed a kind of magic on her hair. Soft, curling locks were carefully twisted and then pinned on the right side of her head before dark red flower accents were added.

Then came the make-up. It was so masterfully applied that if someone only gave Orihime a passing glance, they wouldn't even notice it there. However, Rangiku and Yuzu weren't going for a look that would only receive a passing glance and they pulled it off.

Stepping back, Rangiku let out a satisfied sigh as she said, "There. Now, even though some of this make-up is supposed to be water-proof, don't you dare go testing just how water-proof it is. Got it?"

Obviously, Rangiku knew exactly what Orihime had been about to do, so Orihime took a few deep breaths and forced herself to ignore the pin-pricks in the corners of her eyes. It took a few seconds, but she got herself under control and got up to give each woman a warm hug of gratitude.

Popping her head inside, Tatsuki said in a brusque tone, "Don't go thanking us yet, Orihime. We're not quite done."

Grasping Orihime's hand, Tatsuki led her down the hallway and ushered Orihime into the bedroom before closing the door behind her. On the bed lay a scarlet, floor-length dress, which Orihime quickly changed into. The top of the dress was of a silky material, sleeveless, cut in a V-shape in the front and back, but which kept Orihime modestly covered. The bottom half was chiffon with a red-gold sheer layer on top. After the dress, there was a wrap and clutch that were the same red-gold color to match the dress.

When she turned to look at herself in the mirror, Orihime once again had to fight to keep the tears from falling. She hadn't been pampered like this since her wedding day and while she normally would rather have been the one to give the pampering to someone she loved, Orihime had to admit that being on the receiving end this time was definitely just what she needed.

Emerging from the bedroom, there was a chorus of pleased gasps, 'Oohs' and 'Ahs' from not only the five women, but her children as well. Orihime noticed Reika, Ayaka and Makoto exchange self-satisfied grins, but before she could say anything, Tatsuki took charge again.

"All right, we are finished over here, so now we're going to take off with your kids and you are going to wait here to be picked up."

Orihime's mouth was just beginning to open to ask a question, when Rukia read her mind and answered, "The kids are the ones who contacted all of us with this idea of giving you and Ichigo some time to yourselves, so from now until Sunday morning, consider this as a time when you two can just enjoy some alone time."

Looking down at her three oldest kids, Orihime asked, "You three planned this out?" to which they nodded in response and Orihime could barely find words as she knelt down to hug them all as she said, "Oh, you darling, wonderful, thoughtful kids!"

She gave them each a kiss before turning to the younger three and doing the same for them. Then she stood up and furiously fanned her face to try and keep the tears at bay.

The next moment, the doorbell sounded and Karin said with a grin, "All right Orihime. Time to go."

-

If Ichigo were to stop and think for a moment, he might find it extremely strange that he was being made to ring the doorbell of his own house and wait for someone to open it. Looking down at the corsage he was carrying, Ichigo couldn't help but grin at the idea that he was a teenager, coming over to pick up his girlfriend for a dance or fancy dinner. Only this time, he hadn't been the one making the plans.

Ichigo was pulled out of his thoughts when the front door opened and he saw his wife standing in front of him. The first thing he noticed was the dress. It was such a striking color that it took Ichigo a few moments to process just what about it that was so remarkable. If someone had tried to describe the dress to him using words, Ichigo might have pictured something garish and over-the-top and such a dress might have been so if it had been draped over any other woman. However, as his eyes moved up, Ichigo couldn't help but think that the dress had been made to match the wearer.

When his eyes finally met his wife's, Ichigo couldn't help the half-grin that lit up his features as he took in the picture perfectness of how Orihime looked. He knew Orihime was beautiful and he knew that she knew that he knew. However, in this case, Ichigo felt the urge to do something to show her just what he was thinking. So he took the corsage out of its box, grasped Orihime's right hand, gave it a kiss, arranged the corsage on her wrist and kissed the back of her hand again.

Looking up, Ichigo saw Orihime's beaming smile and he said, "Good thing I was made to dress for the occasion."

"You look very handsome," said Orihime approvingly.

Karin cut into the conversation saying efficiently, "Yes, yes. You two look like a million bucks. Now get going or you'll miss the reservations."

"Just a minute," replied Ichigo, "From what I understand, there are a few people I need to thank before they leave for the weekend."

Stepping through the doorway, Ichigo knelt down in front of his kids and said, "I've always told others how great you kids are, but I think I speak for your mom and I when I say that…"

Ichigo was cut off when Reika, Ayaka and Makoto all wrapped their arms around him. Sayuri and Nobu ran over to Orihime, who bent down to embrace them as well as Natsuki who ran over to her as fast as his little legs would carry him. No more words were needed.

-

It felt a little odd at first, going somewhere without their kids. Each one had been a welcome and loved addition to their family, but Ichigo and Orihime had long forgotten what it felt like not to have six additional mouths to feed, six bodies to keep in their seats and potentially have to take to the restroom, or six voices chattering away. They sat at the table in a rather awkward silence until the waiter came to take their order.

After he left, Orihime nervously twirled her wedding ring around her finger as she said, "So, Ichigo…"

"Hmm?"

Keeping her gaze locked on her fingers, she tried to think of what to say, but everything she came up with sounded ridiculous in her head so silence fell over them again for a time. Then the waiter came back with their drinks, set them down and walked away again.

This time, Ichigo tried breaking the silence by saying, "So, Orihime…"

"Yes?"

Once again, no topic came to mind right away and so silence reigned supreme. At least for a short time longer.

"I was wondering how-"

"I was wondering what-"

All at once, both tried to talk at the same time, which caused them to stop, look up at each other and then laugh at the ridiculous turn of events.

Sitting back in his seat, Ichigo chuckled and said, "Wow. Sitting together at the table hasn't been this quiet since we would have a midnight snack after Reika and Ayaka were fed at 11:30."

Orihime giggled as she reminisced, "Yes. We'd be so tired that we barely tasted the food."

"You fell asleep one time. I had to catch you before you gave yourself a leftover mashed potato facial."

"That's right, you did. And then there was that one time that you were so tired you couldn't read the labels and wound up pouring orange juice over your cereal rather than milk."

Pretending to be sulky, Ichigo grumbled, "It's not my fault. The container was white, so it looked like milk," then he shuddered as he remembered putting a spoonful into his mouth as he said, "Just thinking about it puts a bad taste in my mouth."

Reaching over and taking Ichigo's hand, Orihime said in a sympathetic tone, "I'm sorry, Ichigo. Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?"

"Well, just now I was about to ask how your day was. Usually the kids ask you, so I thought I would do it this time."

Squeezing Orihime's hand, Ichigo told her about his different patients and co-workers and his interactions with both parties, positive and irritating. Every so often, Orihime would ask about specific people she knew or for clarification when descriptions were given about those she did not and once in a while would comment on Ichigo's stories, but for the most part she would just sit and listen to her husband talk.

After a while, their roles reversed when Ichigo asked about what she had been up to that day. Eventually, their food came, only this time the waiter came by and had to excuse himself in order to get their attention so he could set the plates down. Ichigo and Orihime graciously but briefly thanked him before returning to their conversation. Even though they had been married for almost fourteen years, lived in the same house, shared a room and were raising children together, they discovered that they had a lot of catching up to do.

-

About an hour later, Chad pulled the convertible into their driveway, opened the door to let them out, said, "See you on Sunday," got back in the car and drove away.

After giving Chad a wave, Ichigo reached down to grasp Orihime's hand and walked up to the front door with her. As they stepped into the foyer and Ichigo turned on the light, they were taken aback at the sight that met their eyes.

Dangling from the ceiling like mobiles were dozens of pictures. Upon closer inspection of several, Ichigo and Orihime discovered that they were pictures of when Ichigo and Orihime were young kids growing up through elementary and junior high school.

Looking down on the floor, they saw paper arrows leading them towards the living room. Exchanging intrigued grins, they grasped hands and walked into the next room together. When they walked into the room, they saw more pictures arranged on poster boards. These were from high school.

Previously, none of the pictures had shown Ichigo and Orihime together since they hadn't known each other at the time. Even in the beginning of high school, they were moving in different circles with only Tatsuki being a kind of bridge between the two since she had been best friends with both since elementary and junior high school respectively. Then later on in high school and especially the summer after they graduated, there was a significant increase in pictures containing both Ichigo and Orihime.

This whole time, Ichigo and Orihime had exchanged some small talk, reminiscing over certain pictures, but mostly they were content to sit and recall memory after memory in companionable silence. As they perused the pictures separately, both Ichigo and Orihime found themselves staring intently at the exact same facial feature in each picture: the eyes. It was truly a case when the phrase 'The eyes are the windows to the soul' could be applied accurately.

In their early years, both Ichigo and Orihime's eyes were bright and full of life. The innocence and exuberance of childhood had been captured and contained on film and it was nearly impossible not to smile along with the main subjects in the photos. Even if one were not familiar with their different histories, one could clearly see exactly when the young Ichigo and Orihime had met with their distinctive, life-altering and yet similar tragedies.

For the nine-year-old Ichigo, his eyes became almost lifeless in the beginning, then as he got older his signature scowl began developing. He was trying to keep the world at a distance in an effort to protect himself and the world at large. He had failed his mother and if he let someone get that close to him again it was entirely possible that he would make the same mistake again. Also, he had been deeply wounded by her death and he didn't want to feel that kind of all-encompassing pain again. There were a select few times when someone had accidentally caught Ichigo unawares on film and in those moments, the pain he felt deep in his soul and yet refused to let anyone else see peeked through.

When she lost her brother, Orihime was forced to grow up and mature quite quickly in order to make it in the world, for all intents and purposes, on her own. If one were to simply give Orihime's later photographs a passing glance, then one would make the assumption that she was still her cheerful, bubbly energetic self. Her smile was still bright and vivacious, but if one were to look carefully into her eyes, flickers of deeply seated pain and suffering could be seen there. The loss of her older brother had dealt a serious blow to the young girl, but she managed to find a reason to keep on smiling and looking for the silver lining in life. It would likely be a safe assumption to say that one of the main reasons Orihime had found to keep on going no matter what would be the dark-haired karate champion who was almost always displayed giving the caramel-haired girl a warm side hug or something.

Even though Ichigo and Orihime moved in separate circles for several years, if one were to hold their pictures next to one another, that person would not be incorrect in saying that both young people were experiencing the same kind of pain and yet dealing with it in different ways.

As Ichigo and Orihime had matured since their different tragedies, one could see the pain and grief in their eyes lessen. In Ichigo's case, his eyes became more confident and strong, while Orihime's regained their old enthusiasm while gaining in wisdom. However, neither set of eyes really looked at peace or fulfilled. There was still something missing.

Then came the summer of their senior year. At an event that was supposed to involve Ichigo and Orihime hanging out with all their friends had turned out to be a time when Ichigo and Orihime got to spend time alone together. Ichigo and Orihime didn't officially begin dating for about another week or two, but it was the beginning of something new in their relationship.

Pictures taken at the start of their dating relationship were rather awkward. Everything was still sinking in, but in the photos Ichigo's scowl had become less pronounced and Orihime's smile was several degrees brighter. As time went on, little by little, physical signs of affection began to appear. Ichigo wrapping his arm around Orihime's shoulders. Orihime leaning against Ichigo's chest. Two hearts were gradually opening up to let the other in completely.

On the last poster board was a note that read 'Flip me over' and on the backside was a map drawn in a rainbow of colors. Exchanging a smile, Ichigo and Orihime followed the map's instructions and were led in a roundabout way to the family room. As expected, there were more pictures to look at. These were from their college days, engagement, wedding day, starting a family and up to the present.

The main difference is that these pictures were attached to poster boards along with notes from their friends and relatives. Some read as follows:

'That day you were going to propose to Orihime and we met up with you at the beach and Keigo snatched the ring away from you, Ichigo…your face was absolutely priceless. I am forever grateful to Chad for somehow managing to capture this look of utter astonishment and horror. Now you'll never be able to forget it either. I suppose Orihime loves you no matter what you look like, but when she needs a good laugh…well, any good husband should be able to figure out what to do. Tatsuki.'

'I remember the first time you brought darling Orihime over for dinner. She was so cute in that outfit! It took all my strength not to wrap my arms around her and never let my beautiful, future daughter-in-law go…obviously you could tell because you nearly shoved my nose into my brain! How you did love to abuse your poor Daddy Dearest…you still do! Darling Orihime, you are the most wonderful daughter-in-law a man could ask for! And I hope my stubborn son gets his act together after this and shows you in some small way every day just how much you mean to him! If he doesn't, just say the word and Super Daddy Dearest will come over to knock some sense into him!'

'Yuzu said that as your brother-in-law it is my duty to write something down for you and Orihime to read and enjoy. Some kind of memory attached to a picture that will make the two of you smile, laugh and cry or something. Personally, I'm not given to random frivolity or emotions, so I'll simply settle for this little anecdote. On the day you took Orihime as your wife, there was a look in your eyes that I didn't fully comprehend until my own wedding day. You took your marriage vows to love, honor and protect Orihime very seriously. You meant every word. In the days and years ahead of you, think back on that moment when you said 'I do' and really remind yourself why you said those two words in the first place. Even though those two words officially altered your life for good, the woman you said them too had done so already. Uryu.'

'It's hard to believe how many years have gone by since I first stayed over at your apartment with Toshiro. It's also funny to think about that conversation we had later on in the evening and how things have changed since that day. You have become such a beautiful woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. Back then, you could only claim the very last of those roles. Just a piece of friendly advice before I finish here: each role is important in its own way, but the first three are your primary concern. While trying to be a good mother to your children, don't forget that you are also a wife to your husband. And then, in the times when you are trying to juggle all the jobs and responsibilities that come with the different roles that you take on, remember that you are also a woman. An individual. In all this time one thing hasn't really changed…you're reluctant to ask for help from others thinking that you'll only inconvenience them. As your friends and family, people who love you, we are called your 'support system' for a reason. Huge hugs, Rangiku.'

And on it went. Letters from all their friends and family, bringing back treasured memories, some which had been forgotten over time. Like the first time Ayaka and Reika had been taken to the zoo. Or when Natsuki and Nobu had somehow managed to find the absolute perfect hiding spot since no one had been able to find them for over five hours. The two boys had never revealed where they had been hiding, just showed up at the dinner table when it was time to eat.

When the last letter had been read, Ichigo and Orihime sat back on the couch and sat in silence for a few more minutes before Orihime said in a soft voice, "I can't believe this."

The only thing Ichigo could think to say was, "I can't either."

Looking over at her husband, Orihime said in wonder, "This…all this was put together for us. Everyone…took the time to put this together for us," then she leaned forward and asked in a hushed voice, "Why did they go to all this trouble?"

For a moment, Ichigo didn't answer as he tried to put his thoughts into words and then he said slowly, "Because they knew we needed to remember. To see where we came from to what we are today."

"I don't understand."

Taking Orihime's hand, Ichigo led her back into the foyer and said, "This is where we began. Without each other. Growing up separately and yet the same."

Walking into the living room, Ichigo picked up a few pictures to show her, "Here is where our paths began to merge. We're beginning to connect.

"And then finally," said Ichigo as he wrapped an arm around Orihime's waist and propelled her into the family room, "here is where we really begin our journey together."

Nodding her head, Orihime replied, "Yes, I see that. I get that. But what did you mean when you said that we needed to remember?"

"It's like Rangiku wrote," said Ichigo, "in the years since all of the kids have been born, we've slowly drifted apart as man and wife. I'm tired from work, you're tired from work and at the end of the day we just don't connect like we used to anymore. We connect when it comes to dealing with the kids, but tonight was the first time in a long time that I've purposefully sat down and talked with you just because I can."

Smiling up at Ichigo, Orihime said, "When you put it that way, it makes sense. I can't believe that I didn't realize it sooner. I'm sorry, Ichigo."

Cupping Orihime's face, Ichigo said softly, "It's something we both messed up, but now that we know what's been going wrong I think we can figure things out from here."

Reaching up to wrap her hands around Ichigo's, Orihime's smile widened as she said, "You're right. And we have the whole weekend to start talking about that."

Lowering his head, Ichigo grinned as his lips connected with Orihime's. It's amazing how something so sweet and tender can turn someone's world from upside down to right side up yet on the other hand completely shatter that person's world (in a good way) in a matter of milliseconds.

That Sunday, when the kids came running up the walkway, they knew their plan had worked as they saw their parents standing on the porch with their arms wrapped around each other. Tanabata couldn't have fallen on a better day that year since it marked a new beginning and deeper connection within the Kurosaki family.

**Author's Note:**

Good night! This story took forever to finish! Well, up until now it would have been difficult to post since I didn't have internet, but that particular glitch has FINALLY been dealt with.

Anyway, I won't go into much detail about the inspiration for this story, but I will say that just like with most of my stories, I pull from personal experiences and observations of the world. I tried to make it all realistic, especially the beginning of Ichigo and Orihime's 'date', but if not well...use your imagination.

I know I am WAY late for Tanabata, but this was my story for that holiday this year. Hope you liked it!


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